subject: How to Use Social Media to Improve Your Health [print this page] How to Use Social Media to Improve Your Health
M.K Kellogg helped pioneer one of the first nutrition movements in America through his cereal, Kellogg Corn Flakes. Since the beginning of his mission to make America healthier nearly 100 years ago, the health and wellness category has blossomed into a $112.4 billion business. With each advancement in communications, the consumer health and wellness category grows larger and further empowers those seeking a healthier lifestyle. Home exercise was popularized by VHS (think Richard Simmons), On Demand TV channels eliminated cassettes, WebMD put health on the digital map and now we're witnessing Health 2.0 with the advent of social media. Unlike VHS, social media enables users to peel back the layers of information to discover the best possible solution from expert advice to finding a human connection to help cope with illness. How has the health and wellness adapted to web 2.0?
Obtain health information WebMD is often the first source of health information for its 18 million monthly unique users. It should not, however, be your last stop. YouTube, in particular, is an under-utilized source for health and wellness information. Small businesses and international brands are featuring user-generated and professional-quality video to promote health and wellness. In many ways, YouTube replaces those shelves of workout videos with clips of Yoga and Pilates poses (see below). YouTube is also a platform to promote the collective wisdom of its users. For instance, Johnson & Johnson channel, with 1.8 million upload views, focuses on parenting advice from dozens of parents.
Evaluate health status Livestrong, of yellow wristband fame, offers a highly interactive and introspective community and digital tools. One of these tools is the MyPlate, which allows users to track dietary habits and exercise to monitor their overall health. The concept is nothing new, but Livestrong takes health monitoring a step further by integrating it into its home-grown, Livestrong community. Members win milestone badges for monitoring their health, which can then be shared within the community.
Get advice about disease from experts Health and wellness columnists are prevalent on sites such as WebMD and Health Central. There is limited expert / audience interaction, however. UStream changes this. UStream, a video streaming site, features live events with real-time chat capabilities. Using social media login IDs, Twitter, Facebook, AIM and MySpace, UStream enables its audiences to chat about events in real time. This real-time chat comes in handy during health conferences, like Healthways Well-Being Summit, where experts can answer questions and make clarifications based on user chatter. In fact, the US Congressional Health Caucus streams most of its events / meetings through its UStream channel page.
Obtain community support Coping with illness or other health challenges can be difficult when going it alone. What better way to gain support than from your friends and family on Facebook. The Fridge Graph app enables users set weight loss goals, track progress over time...
To learn more about social media and health, go to Sparxoo, a digital marketing, branding and business development blog.
